The present invention relates generally to a method for updating a message on a device and specifically to a method for simultaneously updating a plurality of messages on a plurality of devices using a single device.
Calendaring programs such as MICROSOFT OUTLOOK® and LOTUS NOTES® allow a user to organize their contact information, email, and calendar of events into a single interface. The calendaring program can be expanded to include other communication methods such as instant messaging and web interfaces. Thus, a user can use a calendaring program to coordinate all the different communication methods, such as business telephone, cellular telephone, fax, email, instant messaging (IM), and so forth.
One of the problems associated with calendaring programs is that the calendaring program is useful for organizing the contact information and calendaring of events, but not for connecting the devices or disseminating information through the devices. For example, a project manager may be associated with a plurality of devices, such as a business telephone, cellular telephone, email address, and IM address, which he uses to coordinate events with the project members. When the project manager is on vacation, out of the office, or otherwise unavailable, he needs to communicate his status to people who attempt to contact him through one of his devices. In order to do this, the project manager must change his voicemail message on his business telephone, change his voicemail on his cellular telephone, configure an automatic reply message on his email, and change his status on his IM channel. The process of updating the project manager's status on the plurality of devices is time consuming and cumbersome. The time consuming and cumbersome nature of the status update process causes many users to avoid updating the status of the devices, which decreases the ability of people to know when the user is available. The complexity and time consuming nature of the status update process would be significantly reduced if the user could update the status of all of the devices using a single device. Currently, no mechanism exists for updating the status of a plurality of devices using a single device. Therefore, a need exists for a method that allows a user to update his status on a plurality of devices using a single device.
Even when a user is not on vacation or out of the office, he may be unavailable for short periods of time. For example, the user may be in a meeting, on a telephone call with a client, or taking a short break. It is desirable to inform people attempting to contact the user that he is temporarily unavailable and inform the people attempting to contact the user when the user will be available. The user's calendaring program contains information regarding the times of the day that the user will be in meetings or will be attending scheduled events. It would be useful for a computer program to access the information in the calendaring program and inform people who are attempting to contact the user that the user is unavailable, the reason for the unavailability (i.e. in a meeting), and when the user will be available. Currently, no application exists that accesses a user's schedule in the calendaring program and disseminates information to people who are attempting to contact the user. Therefore, a need exists for a method for accessing a user's calendaring program and relaying the user's schedule and periods of availability to people who are attempting to contact the user.